Page 25 of Awaiting

“Tomorrow, I could bring my portable speaker,” she said. “So we can listen to music or something. Assuming you’re coming back tomorrow.”

“I’ll be here,” Alex replied, wiping the counter again. “Assuming you’ll do that little dance again.”

Bexley laughed.

CHAPTER 9

Alex felt like an idiot. Of course, Bexley wouldn’t think she’d just volunteer for this kind of work without an ulterior motive. Thank God Alice had come through with a lie that was at least somewhat plausible, but not being prepared with that lie wasn’t Alex’s biggest mistake of the day so far. She’d underestimated how nervous she would be around Bexley. They hadn’t seen each other in months, and Alex had forgotten how intense the butterflies had been that last time. If it was possible, those butterflies were even more intense this time. They’d been cleaning the kitchen for close to an hour, and Alex didn’t want to say this out loud, but this was the most cleaning she’d done in her life.

“So, this will be a patient room,” Bexley explained as she walked Alex around the floor. “And I just realized that it’s after two.”

“Is something happening at two?”

“No, but have you eaten? I was going to grab lunch, but you guys showed up and surprised me. Want to go downstairs with me? I tried this place yesterday that was pretty good.”

“I’d love to, but…” Alex started.

“Oh, right,” Bexley said. “Sorry, I actually forgot who you are for a minute there.”

Alex just nodded. Bexley didn’t know who she really was, and when they’d been cleaning, there had been the perfect segue into talking about her life with her brother and her role in the family, but Alex hadn’t taken it. No one outside her immediate family really knew anything about her, but even Larry didn’t know some of the stuff she’d hidden from him for years. She wanted Bexley to know, though. Alex just had this feeling that she could trust this woman with anything. She had no idea where that feeling came from, but there was some evidence to support it, at least. After all, Bexley hadn’t said a word to anyone when Alice had been discovered living in Kansas; she’d protected her friend. And time and time again, when reporters asked Bexley for comment about Alice and her life, Bexley hadn’t given one.

“You know what? I’ll just go grab something for both of us. Is there anything you don’t eat?”

Alex’s eyes went wide at the thought of the joke she wanted to make, but she kept it inside instead.

“Nope. I eat anything.”

Okay, it still sounded like a joke. And she hadn’t meant it to. Bexley’s eyebrow lifted, and God, was it sexy. This woman was gorgeous. Her long blonde hair was pulled back and braided today. Her blue eyes were perfect. That was the only word Alex had to describe them, and she’d searched for others over and over whenever she’d thought of Bexley or looked her up online.

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

“What should I do while I wait?” Alex asked.

“Take a break, Your Royal Highness,” Bexley teased. “There are water bottles in the last office over there.”

“I can clean the bathroom,” Alex offered.

“You’regoing to clean the bathroom?”

“Hey, I did a great job on that sink.”

Bexley laughed, which made Alex smile.

“You did. How about you leave the bathroom for me for later, though, and you take the office down there? We’re keeping the desk in there. It’s in good shape. The new chairs are over here.” Bexley pointed to one of the chairs in the room. “And the room will need one of these chairs and then one of the other chairs.” She pointed to a different group of chairs next to the other one.

“So, move a couple of chairs? Got it.” Alex nodded.

Bexley left a minute later, giving Alex time to breathe, and she needed it, too. Bexley smelled like a mix of fresh rain and sweat, which was a remarkable combination, in Alex’s opinion. She moved one chair after the other into the designated room and decided to wipe the dust off the desk while she was at it. Then, she went to the bathroom, which wasn’t filthy; it had just been untouched for a long time. She decided to start with the sink and the mirror and clean them up quickly before she found paper towels and toilet paper in a stack on the floor. One roll of toilet paper was already out and open. Bexley must have used the bathroom in here already, but Alex wasn’t sure she’d be able to until it was cleaned up. She had just enough time to put the paper towels and toilet paper into the cabinet before she heard the whirring of the elevator, indicating Bexley was on her way. Alex washed her hands and went to grab them each a bottle of water. She returned just in time to see Bexley walk out of the elevator with one of Alex’s security guards behind her.

“Your Royal Highness,” he said, bowing.

“Everything is fine up here,” Alex replied.

“We’d still like to do a walk-through,” the guard said. “You wouldn’t allow it when we first arrived.”

“All right. Go ahead. Is that okay?” she asked Bexley after agreeing.

“Sure,” Bexley said. “I mean, yes, Your Royal Highness.” She nodded toward the guard.

---